Kentucky vs St Peter's Game Thread.

[KCKUKFan]

I saw somebody say this last night.

I just don't think it's true. What evidence is there that he actually did this?

It looked to me like we were running virtually the same stuff against Kansas that we were running last night. The difference is that the individual players broke down, and when they started breaking down Cal had no idea how to throw them a lifeline.

Note that I'm not saying Cal's system is all that great or anything. As we all know, it's pretty basic--among some of the most basic stuff that's run in all of college basketball. I just don't think "Cal changed and we were awesome and then he changed back and we collapsed" is correct.

You're probably right, actually.

Where this team really collapsed was on the defensive end. I think the defense was better (and the rebounding) mid-season, and it allowed for more transition opportunities and open shots for our shooters. Down the stretch, we were letting guys get whatever they wanted, and even Oscar was out of position for rebounds on a number of occasions. Transition baskets were harder to come by, Kellan didn't work hard enough to get open, and we certainly didn't run stuff for him.

We got beat on three different back door cuts last night in the second half. With a team loaded with juniors and seniors. Against St. Peter's... we looked completely flummoxed on how to guard it. You can say it's on Cal, but those guys know how to guard stuff like that. Perhaps he really did just lose this team.

[Joneslab]

Cal's teams are always shaky on teams that backdoor and "run stuff."

Probably because our own system is so open and NBA-like. When we run into these teams that are very controlled, composed, and old school we have a hard time figuring it out. This has been going on since '09.

The best comparison for that game last night was probably a game we won: Princeton in 2011. That game could have gone either way and we needed a last-second shot to win.

Those styles give Cal fits. Which makes sense because we don't practice against anything like that style.

And also Cal just isn't a cerebral coach. We point this out a lot when we talk about the difficulties UK has early in the season. He seems to be slow on the uptake a lot about what teams are doing. A lot of times he makes it up because he simply has better personnel.

But in the mind game wars Cal often loses, badly. St. Peters' zone was the equivalent of the monolith in 2001. We stood there looking at it for the last few minutes of regulation and overtime like we'd never seen anything like it. And I saw virtually nothing from the bench as far as an adjustment. The whole plan when we got that six-point lead was "Sit on it. Burn clock. Pray we get out of here with a W."

A good defensive team probably would have. This team was not that.

[Joneslab]

Also the missed free throw thing we've seen before in the NCAA Tournament.

There has to be a reason that has come up several times with UK teams. Cal must be over there super tight, and it rubs off on the players.

I said this above but I thought he looked shook during the SEC Tournament. Something was just off. He saw the writing on the wall with this team, probably.

When you're a nervous wreck your players are inevitably going to clank free throws. It's the most pressure-packed part of the game.

On the flipside St. Peters' coach looked cool as a cucumber for pretty much 40 minutes. Guy was loving it.

We always said Cal is perfect for this job because he's unflappable. He "gets it," we always used to say.

You wonder if now the pressure has mounted on him and he's just finally faltered under it.

[Catsrock]

I was interested in Cal's first comments in the presser last night: "I couldn't get guys to shoot balls."

It's odd and super frustrating that here we were on March 17th and the coach couldn't impart his gameplan to his players--particularly players who are 25 years old.

Some sort of weird breakdown occurred with this team at some point. Not sure why...nor really does it matter why. It all points back to the head coach.

Likely a situation where we saw what this collection of players was capable of the first game against Tennessee and then in Phog Allen—followed by Cal telling each player they should be doing something different now if they really want to show the European scouts what they can do.

[TrueblueCATfan]

The Louisville football coach is enjoying this. He says St. Peter's is his favorite team.

I saw that...he is taking some heat.....really kind of dumb too...Did he forget he has to come to Kroger Field next season

[George]

What's really gonna be brutal is if Oscar, Sahvir, TyTy, Keion, Lance, etc. etc. leave anyway and we have to start from scratch.

I'm not going to even consider it at this point, because it just gives me anxiety.

I’m bored and oscillating between numb indifference and punch-my-couch mad, so I’ll do it.

Oscar: probably gone
TyTy: gone
Wheeler: probably returns
Brooks: gone
Toppin: probably returns
Grady and Mintz: gone
Ware: maybe returns
Hopkins: transfer
Collins: transfer
Fredrick: returns (but will he ever play?)
Sharpe: gone

So, at best, that’s a probable core of Wheeler, Fredrick, Toppin, Ware, with Wallace and Livingston incoming and whatever transfers Cal lands. Have fun with that.

[Dwight Schrute]

What's really gonna be brutal is if Oscar, Sahvir, TyTy, Keion, Lance, etc. etc. leave anyway and we have to start from scratch.

I'm not going to even consider it at this point, because it just gives me anxiety.

Well TyTy is a projected lottery pick last I saw so I am assuming he's gone. But Oscar and Sahvir will start next year and should have pretty sweet NIL deals so it doesn't make sense for them to leave unless they're first rounders (which Oscar may be).

[Dwight Schrute]

I’m bored and oscillating between numb indifference and punch-my-couch mad, so I’ll do it.

Oscar: probably gone
TyTy: gone
Wheeler: probably returns
Brooks: gone
Toppin: probably returns
Grady and Mintz: gone
Ware: maybe returns
Hopkins: transfer
Collins: transfer
Fredrick: returns (but will he ever play?)
Sharpe: gone

So, at best, that’s a probable core of Wheeler, Fredrick, Toppin, Ware, with Wallace and Livingston incoming and whatever transfers Cal lands. Have fun with that.

I think NIL will keep some guys here that in the past may have transferred. Especially if you're not going pro, you'll earn more cash here than you would at most other places.

[George]

I think NIL will keep some guys here that in the past may have transferred. Especially if you're not going pro, you'll earn more cash here than you would at most other places.

A more optimistic take might look like this:

Returnees:
Wheeler
Fredrick
Toppin
Ware
Collins

Maybe Oscar’s giant heart brings him back. Maybe his rising draft projections aren’t accurate and he’s able to finalize some NIL money and that brings him back. That’s about as confident as I can get though.

I still think Hopkins is gone. Too much smoke, too much body language. I also forgot about Allen. He’s been gone.

[KCKUKFan]

Maybe we will all be shocked and the whole team comes back with Livingston, Wallace, Sharpe replacing TyTy, Mintz and Grady.

(I keed, I keed).

[Joneslab]

I don't think we'll lose both Hopkins and Collins. Usually Cal is able to talk the guy back that they see big things for, and I think that guy is probably Collins. Him putting in so much work with eating all those calories a day suggests he probably wants to build toward next season.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Hopkins transfer out.

If we lose Oscar and Sharpe that's a heck of a lot of scrambling needed to fill those holes. Gotta wonder if Cal has the tenacity and heart to pull it off. He's had a lot of misses and/or weirdness in recruiting going back to '17. He used to always talk about how this was a young man's game. Guy is far from a young man at this point.

[George]

I don't think we'll lose both Hopkins and Collins. Usually Cal is able to talk the guy back that they see big things for, and I think that guy is probably Collins. Him putting in so much work with eating all those calories a day suggests he probably wants to build toward next season.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Hopkins transfer out.

If we lose Oscar and Sharpe that's a heck of a lot of scrambling needed to fill those holes. Gotta wonder if Cal has the tenacity and heart to pull it off. He's had a lot of misses and/or weirdness in recruiting going back to '17. He used to always talk about how this was a young man's game. Guy is far from a young man at this point.

I’m so, so sick of this.

At this point, I really wouldn’t mind if he resigned and moved into that house he just bought in Nashville.

Let it happen now while there’s plenty of time, then start calling Scott Drew, I guess. Not sure who else it’d be at the moment.

[Joneslab]

There are very few high-profile names.

Of those names, the chances UK actually lands any of those guys is hard to imagine being possible.

Scott Drew, Brad Stevens, Mark Few, Jay Wright.

That's the top echelon.

Any chance those guys actually come here? Hard to imagine. Drew would be the only one I could maybe see.

If you strike out on those four, the pickings are very slim. In fact you have to take a massive gamble.

Frank Vogel is probably on that list of the next guys. Nate Oats as well. Were I in charge I would at least reach out to Bruce Pearl, but I highly doubt Barnhart would.

[Catsrock]

This is UK. We have no idea who will be here next year including Wallace and Livingston

[Dwight Schrute]

There are very few high-profile names.

Of those names, the chances UK actually lands any of those guys is hard to imagine being possible.

Scott Drew, Brad Stevens, Mark Few, Jay Wright.

That's the top echelon.

Any chance those guys actually come here? Hard to imagine. Drew would be the only one I could maybe see.

If you strike out on those four, the pickings are very slim. In fact you have to take a massive gamble.

Frank Vogel is probably on that list of the next guys. Nate Oats as well. Were I in charge I would at least reach out to Bruce Pearl, but I highly doubt Barnhart would.

Eric Musselman.